Urgent Crisis Response and Virtual Ward Matron | Croydon Health Services NHS Trust

Our vision is for the people of Croydon to experience well-co-ordinated care and support in the most appropriate setting, which is truly person-centred and helps them to maintain their independence. We are developing the services that we currently provide to reduce hospital admissions and to facilitate earlier discharge from hospital through advanced holistic assessment and technology, ensuring patients have the safest best care that is delivered in their home environment via the local Virtual Ward.

The Urgent Crisis Response and Virtual Ward is an admission avoidance service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The post holder will require advanced assessment skills and have the ability to prescribe a plan of care that will support patients with complex needs through an acute episode in the community in order to avoid a hospital admission. Candidates will need to be motivated and innovative with strong leadership and communication skills to support the development of community services and will also be supporting patients on the local virtual ward.

Working as part of the Urgent Crisis Response and Virtual Ward team, the post-holder will provide assessment and treatment of patients during a crisis, identifying complex and specialist needs and will develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care. They will assess the health and psychosocial needs of the patients, families and carers, plan and implement treatment and nursing care, and mobilise a wide range of services to meet their needs.

Working as a competent clinician with a high degree of autonomy, the post-holder will manage undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems using advanced clinical skills by incorporating physical assessment, diagnosis and independent prescribing. The post-holder will work collaboratively with the team and external providers to ensure the right care, by the right person, at the right time, and in the right place. They will aim to enable patients to regain independence or achieve their optimum rehabilitation potential, and to prevent unnecessary hospital admission. In addition, they will assist with facilitating early hospital discharge.

As a senior member of the team, they will lead, manage and participate in coordinating the service. The post holder will be responsible for identifying patients for the telehealth pathway and for monitoring and supporting patients on a daily basis. In addition, they will support other team members in delivering the telehealth service on a daily basis. They will be expected to support the development and implementation of clinical pathways within the community.

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provides hospital and community services from a number of community and specialist clinics throughout Croydon. The Trust was formed on 1st August 2010 through the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Around 4,100 staff provide services for a population of over 360,000 people who are relatively young with a high level of ethnic diversity.

Our main hospital site, Croydon University Hospital, is one of the busiest in London. We’re also leading the way in providing more healthcare outside hospitals at clinics, specialist centres and in people’s homes. Our experienced district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons look after people of all ages across Croydon and our Children’s Hospital at Home cares for children with long-term conditions without them having to come to hospital.

Across the NHS, everyone is working hard to meet growing demand and we’re no exception. But with the right people on board, we are rising to this challenge, putting our people in the driving seat, encouraging innovation and transforming our services to give local people the quality of care they deserve. Croydon Health Services puts a great deal of importance on education and training throughout the careers of all of our staff, as well as offering access to a range of core skills training and professional development.